Monday, January 14, 2013

Dear NBC, Thanks.

Can't say that I've ever written to a TV show before. But, there's a first time for everything. That last episode of 30 Rock apparently touched a nerve.

A hand written (and barely legible) version of the note below has been sent to the folks at NBC.

Dear NBC,

In the most recent episode of 30 Rock (Season 7, Game Over), Liz Lemon was presented with three choices for starting a family: engage in fertility treatments, wait an extended period of time to adopt an infant or adopt an older child now. I was grateful to see that in the end, she was excited to choose option 3, adopt an older child.

As the Foster Dad of an 8 year old, I'm often astonished to see couples who are desperately yearning to have children, and older children desperately yearning to have parents, and all too often, no match is made between these groups.

It's true, Liz Lemon won't teach her hypothetical 6 year old to walk or hear his first word. She will, however, teach him to drive and help him put on his corsage for his first Prom. In short, parenting is a lifetime endeavor (just ask my Mom!), and doesn't stop when a child grows out of diapers.

I would never dare to imply that one method of starting a family was preferred over another. Only that if 30 Rock can help spark the notion of adopting an older child in a the mind of a single couple, then they have done a remarkable service. Not only for that child in need of a family, but for that couple whose dream of a family can now be fulfilled.